This book offers a philosophy about classroom assessment that places students at the center of the assessment equation. Classroom assessments must define for students what is expected of them, and they must provide the basis for decision making by students, parents, teachers, administrators, and the community. Part I of this volume, the first five chapters, defines assessment roles and responsibilities and describes the essential elements of classroom assessment. It covers knowing what is to be assessed, and how to assess it. Part II contains an in-depth study of the assessment methods available for classroom use. It contains four chapters, one each on the design and development of selected response tests, essay tests, performance assessments, and assessments that rely on direct personal communication with students. Part III then turns to classroom applications. These four chapters deal with the assessment of different kinds of achievement targets, examining the match between the target addressed and the assessment methods studied. Standardized tests are considered in this section. Part IV contains four chapters, each dealing with a different form of communication about student achievement from various perspectives. As a guide to assessment practices, this book contains many practical assessment ideas to help make assessments more effective and efficient. An accompanying book of cases offers the opportunity to reflect on and apply the principles introduced in this text. (Contains 73 figures, 20 tables, and 70 references.) (SLD)